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Padres announce Minor League coaching staffs

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Press Release |

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres today announced the staffs for their minor league affiliates, as well as the club’s roving instructors, for the 2013 season.

As previously announced by Tucson, Pat Murphy joins the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate as manager for the 2013 season after serving as manager of the Short-Season Eugene Emeralds from 2011-12. Murphy enters his fourth season with the Padres organization in 2013, having joined after a 15-year tenure as head coach at Arizona State University. Also joining the Tucson Padres coaching staff in 2013 will be pitching coach Bronswell Patrick and hitting coach Tom Tornincasa. Patrick will be entering his sixth season as a pitching coach in the San Diego system while Tornincasa will enter his 14th season as a coach in the Padres organization, with 2013 their first at the Triple-A level. Joining Tucson will be athletic trainers Nathan Stewart and Isak Yoon, while strength coach A.J. Russell returns for his third season with the club. Stewart will enter his eighth season in the Padres organization while Yoon returns for his second.

In San Antonio the Padres and Missions will begin their managerial search to replace John Gibbons, who recently returned to the Toronto Blue Jays organization as manager for the Major League club. Returning to the Missions from last season will be pitching coach Jimmy Jones, who also served as bullpen coach for the Major League club for part of the 2012 season. 2013 will mark Jones’ fifth season as a pitching in the Padres organization. Accompanying them will be hitting coach Jacque Jones, who returns for his second season in the Padres organization after making his coaching debut with Single-A Fort Wayne in 2012. Athletic trainer Daniel Turner also joins the San Antonio staff for his seventh season in the Padres organization while strength coach Derek Cantieni returns for his second with the Missions and third with the Padres.

Shawn Wooten returns for his second season as manager in Single-A Lake Elsinore after the Storm made the California League playoffs for the eighth-consecutive season in 2012. Also returning to the Storm will be hitting coach David Newhan for what will be his third season coaching in Lake Elsinore. Athletic trainer Will Sinon will enter his seventh season with the Storm and 16th overall in the Padres organization. Joining the Storm’s coaching staff will be pitching coach Brian Lawrence in his first season coaching in the Padres organization. The right-hander went 49-61 with a 4.10 ERA (426 ER/934.0 IP) in 162 games, 146 starts, over parts of five Major League seasons with the Padres (2001-05). Lawrence made his coaching debut last season as a pitching coach in the independent Frontier League. Also returning to the Storm’s staff in 2013 will be strength coach Eric Wood.

José Valentin returns as manager for Single-A Fort Wayne after joining the Padres organization and making his managerial debut with the TinCaps last season. In his first year with the club, the TinCaps won the Midwest League Eastern Division title and reached the Midwest League Championship Series. Returning with Valentin will be pitching coach Willie Blair for his third season with the Padres organization. Joining the staff will be hitting coach Morgan Burkhart in his first season with the Padres organization after spending the previous four as a manager in the independent leagues. Athletic trainer Ricky Huerta also joins the TinCaps’ staff in 2013 in his fourth season with the Padres.

Jim Gabella joins the Short-Season Eugene Emeralds as manager after spending the previous two seasons managing the Padres Rookie-Level affiliate in Peoria, Ariz. The 2013 season will mark Gabella’s third with the Padres organization, after six seasons managing the Single-A Burlington Bees, the Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Also joining Gabella from Peoria will be pitching coach Dave Rajsich and hitting coach Ivan Cruz. Rajsich returns for his 14th season overall with the Padres organization while Cruz returns for his fourth. Joining the Emeralds staff in 2013 will be athletic trainer Mitch Mattoon, his first year in the Padres organization.

Michael Collins takes over as manager for the Padres Rookie-Level affiliate in Peoria, Ariz, after making his managerial debut with the Padres Dominican Summer League club in 2012. Collins, a former catcher, spent 10 years playing professional baseball with his most recent stint with the Padres organization from 2009-10. Collins is joined by pitching coach Nelson Cruz, who returns for his third season with the Padres organization after spending the previous two with Short-Season Eugene. Also joining the staff will be hitting coach Carlos Sosa and athletic trainer Wade Yamasaki. The 2013 season will mark Sosa’s first with the Padres organization while it will be the 13th for Yamasaki. Returning to the Peoria staff as rehab coaches will be Damion Easley and Tim Worrell.

For the Padres’ Dominican Summer League affiliate, Evaristo Lantigua returns as coordinator of instruction in what will be his seventh season with the Padres organization. Also returning to the staff will be pitching coaches Mel Rojas and Jackson Quezada, infield coach Jose Guillen and outfield coach Julio Ramirez as well as strength coach Jorge Gonzalez and assistant athletic trainer Juan Cabrera. Joining the staff will be athletic trainer Miguel Serrato and assistant strength coach Jonathan Borges as well as catching instructor Jhonaldo Pozo, who spent five seasons (2007-11) playing in the Padres organization.